Apparatus for compacting refuse material in a vessel

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for compacting refuse and similar material in a vessel. The apparatus including a driveable rotating roller for compacting the material inside a receiver vessel, wherein the roller is capable of moving in an essentially horizontal direction about a shaft and is preferably driven in rotation. In one embodiment, the roller is coupled to the shaft by a support arm extending laterally from the shaft, and is movable in a vertical direction between bottom and top portions of the vessel by a pivot arm.

The present invention relates to an arrangement for a compacting plantfor refuse and similar material, which comprises a drivable rotatingroller for compacting the material inside a receiver vessel and capableof moving in an essentially horizontal direction about an essentiallyvertical shaft, preferably driven in a rotary fashion, which roller canbe supported enabling it to be moved in a direction between the bottomof the vessel and its upper part.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A problem associated with compacting plants of the kind referred toabove is the need to be able to achieve even compaction alongessentially the whole of the material accommodating space of a vessel,and to be able to support a compaction roller by simple, yet effectiveand reliable means.

Previously disclosed in, for example, European Patents 0 106 268 and 0315 674 are compactors with a compaction roller pivotally mounted abouta vertical central shaft, in conjunction with which said roller runs onthe same path and leaves an area free of compaction, i.e. beneath thecentral shaft and peripherally around the path of the roller.

In addition, the supports for the roller in these previously disclosedcompactors are unnecessarily complex and temperamental in use, forexample arms capable of being transported on carriages in upright guidetracks, with the result that large spaces are required in the area abovethe material receiver vessel.

The principal object of the present invention is thus, in the firstplace, to enable at least one of the problems and disadvantages referredto above to be solved by simple and efficient means.

Said object is achieved by means of an arrangement in accordance withthe present invention, which is characterized essentially in that thevertical, and preferably rotatable shaft is capable of lateraldisplacement and/or is supported telescopically.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described below as a number of preferred illustrativeexamples, in conjunction with which reference is made to the drawings,in which

FIG. 1 shows a first illustrative embodiment of a compacting plant;

FIG. 2 shows the arm arrangement;

FIG. 3 shows a section along the line III--III in FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a second illustrative embodiment of a plant viewedfrom the side and in elevation;

FIGS. 6-8 show a section along the lines VI--VI, VII--VII and VIII--VIIIin FIG. 4;

FIGS. 9 and 10 show different forms of plants;

FIG. 11 shows a third illustrative example of a plant;

FIG. 12 shows a detail adapted for the plant in FIG. 11; and

FIG. 13 shows a last embodiment of the plant.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An arrangement 1 for use in a compacting plant 2 intended for refuse Tor similar material which comprises at least one drivable rotatingroller 32 for compacting the material inside a receiver vessel 4 in anessentially horizontal direction, in conjunction with which the roller32 is capable of moving about an essentially vertical shaft 5,preferably driven in a rotary fashion so that the material is compactedby the roller 32, which roller is so arranged as to be supportedenabling it to be moved in a vertical direction 6, 7 between the bottom8 of the vessel and its upper part 9, in conjunction with which saidvertical rotating shaft 5 is supported so as to be capable of lateraldisplacement.

As an alternative or as a complement, said vertical, preferably rotatingshaft 5⁴ can be supported telescopically, as shown in FIG. 13, by atelescope 150.

In accordance with the first illustrative example of the invention,which is shown in FIGS. 1-2 in the drawings, the vertical, preferablyrotating shaft 5, which supports a roller support arm 10 extendinglaterally and preferably obliquely downwards towards the outside 4A ofthe vessel, is supported by a pivot arm arrangement 11. Said pivot armarrangement 11 is formed preferably by pairs of arms 12, 13, which canbe divided laterally into double arm parts 12, 12B; 13A, 13B situated ata mutual distance X and displaced laterally from one another. Said pairsof arms 12, 13 are preferably arranged in parallel, with one arm 12positioned at a level higher than the other arm 13 and above same at amutual distance Y from one another, in the form of so-called paralleltie rods, which arms 12, 13 are connected to one another.

Said connection 14 is formed in that the arms 12, 13 are pivotallyconnected, when viewed in the vertical sense, to a pivot shaftattachment 15 and to a support point 16 for the formed rollerarrangement 17, via a parallel link 18 and swivel joints 19, 20, 21, 22.

An upward-projecting frame upright 24 included in the plant 2, forexample attached to a base frame 23, or a fixed attachment to the wallof a refuse room or the like, for example, can serve as the supportpoint for the arms 12, 13 with the roller 3.

A jack 25 or some other means of transmitting force is so arranged as tobe capable of actuating said pivot arms 12, 13, in conjunction withwhich the preferably hydraulically driven piston cylinder arrangement 25acts between the swivel joint attachment 26 on one arm 13 and a swiveljoint 27 in a fixed position, for example on the frame upright 24 or awall.

The illustrative embodiment of a compacting plant 2¹ and an arrangement1¹, as shown in FIGS. 4-8, differs from the previous example primarilythrough the design of the lifting arms 12¹, 13¹. These are executed bentor curved and formed like a fork at one end with pairs of side arm parts12A¹, 12B¹ ; 13A¹, 13B¹, between which a hydraulically acting swivel 28is accommodated for the purpose of supporting and driving the arm 10 andthe roller arrangement 17 in the event of the arrangement being designedto exhibit a roller capable of rotating about the vertical shaft.Extending between each of the pairs of side arm parts 12A¹, 12B¹ ; 13A¹,13B¹ is a shaft 51, 52, which is attached so as to form swivel jointsfor the parallel links 18, which hold the arms 12¹, 13¹ parallel withone another.

The attachments 15, 29 for the swivel 28 are also attached to the links18.

The roller arrangement 17 is supported via a supporting plate 30 at thelower end 10A of the roller support arm 10, which is preferably inclinedat an angle downwards and outwards from the rotating shaft 5, whilst theshaft 5 is attached to the upper end 10B of the arm via. screwedconnections 31, etc.

The compacting roller 32 can be divided, in conjunction with which onecylindrical part 32A of the roller is passed over a further cylindricalpart 32B of the roller. One 32A of the two roller parts 32A, 32B canexhibit a number of shredding teeth 33 or other compaction/pressure/tearing devices, whilst the other part 32B of the roller, whichis attached to the support plate 30, for example by welding, can form abearing support for the roller part 32A.

Accommodated internally in the roller 32 is a preferably hydraulic drivemotor 34, which is supported by an end plate 35 on the inner part 32B ofthe roller and is connected with the drive shaft 36 to an internalpartition wall 37 in the outer part 32A of the roller.

Hydraulic fluid is transferred via the swivel 28, the arm 10 and theplate 30 to the motor 34 for the purpose of driving the roller 32 andcompacting the material T in the vessel 4 as the arm 10 is caused topivot with the help of and about the shaft 5. As the quantity ofmaterial T increases in the vessel 4, which may consist of a sturdyplastic or metal vessel, for example with wheels 360, or a sackaccommodated in a sack support during filling of the material andcompacting of same, although this is not shown in the drawings, theroller arrangement 17 is appropriately raised through the effect of thejack 25 until the vessel 4 is filled with finally compacted material T.The arms 12, 13; 12¹, 13¹ are caused to pivot for this purpose alongcorresponding pivot paths 37, 38; 37¹, 38¹. This causes the roller 32 tochange position in the vessel 4 when viewed from the side, inconjunction with which the roller 32 compacts the material T along apath other than the previous path at a different compaction level, i.e.along a circular path, the central axis of which is displaced laterally39, 40, first in one direction 39 and then in the other direction 40,i.e. the direction changes once the pivot paths of the pivot arms havecrossed one another at a point 41. Compaction of the material T thustakes place over a larger area than in previously disclosed refusecompactors.

The design of the lifting arms 12¹, 13¹ with an angled central part 53,54 means that the total pivot height for the arms 12¹, 13¹ can be keptlow, and that the total height is thus small, even with the arms 12¹,13¹ pivoted fully upwards when replacing the vessel 4, which isadvantageous in refuse rooms with a low ceiling height.

Side supports 55, 56 for the vessel 4 may be provided, for example inthe form of struts, and may be attached to a frame 23¹. The vessel 4 isintroduced between the supports 55, 56 and is held in position by themduring compaction.

A receiving arrangement 42, 42¹, for example of the funnel type, may beconnected to the upper material opening 43 of the vessel, in conjunctionwith which a slot 44 to accommodate the roller lift arms 12, 13; 12¹,13¹ is situated in it, for example as shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 10 shows a top view of a plant 2² of circular vessel form, i.e.sacks 4² made of a plastic material, for example, are so arranged as tobe capable of being accommodated inside an outer layer 57 of hardmaterial, in conjunction with which said outer layer can be parted at anopening 58 and can be swung out of the way about swivel joints 59, 60 topermit the sack 4² to be replaced.

FIG. 9 shows a top view of a plant 2¹ with square container walls 4¹,which may be tippable by means of the lifting gear on the refusecollection vehicle.

FIG. 11 shows a variant of the plant 2³ with a vessel in the form of,for example, an upwardly open container 4³. A support arrangement in theform of, for example, uprights 101 or other raised elements 101³ withtracks 102,102³ can be arranged along one long side 100 of saidcontainer and can be attached, for example, to a support 103 capable ofbeing positioned beneath the container 4³. It is possible in this wayfor the vertical shaft 5³, which at its lower end supports a transversedriveable compaction roller 104, to be supported in such a way as to becapable of being displaced and, should the occasion arise, as to becapable of being caused to rotate along the material receiving vesselabout said vertical shaft 5³.

The vertical shaft 5³ is supported by a pivot arm arrangement 11³, whichis connected to a carrier 105, 105³ capable of moving along a path,preferably a carriage attached to tracks 102, 102³ extending along thevessel 4³. This compaction roller 104 can thus be driven in thelongitudinal sense of the container along the path when the arms 12³,13³ are supported by the carriage/carriages 105, 105³ and caused to movealong said tracks 102, 102³, with the rotating effect of the roller 104both about the vertical axis 5³ in the direction 106, 107 and about ahorizontal axis of rotation 108.

Lifting of the arms 12³, 13³ and the roller 104 can also be achieved bymeans of a jack 25³, as in previous examples.

The driving effect of the roller 104 from the outside of the containercan also take place, for example, by means of a toothed rail or someother driving means running along the track.

Finally, FIG. 13 shows a variant of an arrangement 2⁴ in which thevertical and preferably pivotable shaft 5⁴, which supports a supportingarm 10 extending laterally towards the outside of the vessel, issupported by a portal superstructure 151 extending over the upper partof a moving material receiving vessel 4⁴ via a number of suspendedlifting arms 152, 153, 154 capable of being accommodated lengthwisealongside one another.

The lifting arms can be formed from sleeves capable of telescoping intoone another and with internally accommodated hydraulic lines, etc., forthe supply of the fluid for driving the roller.

Such a reliable and efficiently functioning compaction plant can now beachieved through said simple invention, although it is not restricted tothe embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, but maybe modified within the scope of the Patent Claims without departing fromthe idea of invention.

I claim:
 1. An apparatus for compacting refuse material inside a vessel,the apparatus comprising:a driveable rotating roller for compacting therefuse material inside the vessel; an essentially vertical rotatableshaft coupled to the driveable rotating roller for moving the driveablerotating roller in the vessel; and a pivot arm coupled at one end to theessentially vertical shaft and pivotally coupled at another end to asupport, wherein the driveable rotating roller is movable between abottom and a top part of the vessel upon pivoting the pivot arm.
 2. Anapparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the essentially verticalshaft is coupled to the driveable rotating roller by a support armextending laterally from the essentially vertical shaft towards a sideportion of the vessel, and the pivot arm is formed by pairs of armsarranged in parallel to one another.
 3. An apparatus in accordance withclaim 1, wherein the pairs of arms are pivotally connected at one end toa link by a pivot shaft attachment and to the support by a pivot shaftattachment.
 4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein thesupport is a frame upright.
 5. An apparatus in accordance with claim 3,wherein the support is a wall.
 6. An apparatus in accordance with claim1, wherein the essentially vertical shaft supports a transversecompaction roller displacable along the material receiving vessel.
 7. Anapparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein the pivot arm is coupledto a carriage attached to channels extending along the vessel.
 8. Anapparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a jack coupledto the pivot arm for pivoting the pivot arm.